7 ms·

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Barbieri's_fast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Barbieri's_fast

by tertius 4y ago

462436347 4y ago
> Died: 7 September 1990 (aged 50–51) Odd how this part often gets ignored when his example is cited.
- Wolfenstein98k 4y ago
  Well, he lived for a long time at >200kg (>450lbs), and lost over 120kg (270lbs). It's not a surprise that his lifespan was shorter than average. Given his death was a quarter of a century after he finished his fast, I'm not sure it makes the causal implication you are suggesting.
  - 462436347 4y ago
    > It's not a surprise that his lifespan was shorter than average. Given all of the purported health benefits of fasting I see touted on HN, and given how long he fasted, if anything I'd expect him to have lived to 100.
    - StrangeATractor 4y ago
      Well he would have if he didn't start eating again.
  - snapplebobapple 4y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21673486 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21673486 Allegedly health problems from obesity and stomach bleeding killed him. Questionably related to the fast,probably related to the health problems that got him to do the fast in the forst place.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- spoonfeeder006 4y ago
  That was 25 years after his fast, but there have been other cases with complications E.g. one lady (1st case in the lnk below) who fasted for 4 months ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks with cardiac arrhythmias and they also found her heart tissue muscles were scared and filled with holes (I believe thats what vacuolated means) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1238550/pdf/westjmed00246-0081.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1238550/pdf/wes... I'm a fan of a 7 day prolonged fast, but not for anything longer
- franciscop 4y ago
  Without any cause listed dying at 50-51 is not rare at all and should not be assumed to be related to a particular cause. In fact, life expectancy of those born on 1940 was 60.8 years, making it within 10 year of the average, something totally normal IMHO (it's like today, with a 78-year life expectancy, someone dying at 68 years old, totally not surprising).
  - TylerE 4y ago
    Life expectancy is a tricky stat. One of those cases where mean vs median vs mode is really important. Especially when talking about a period anchored in a global conflict with vast civilian casualties.
- sph 3y ago
  25 years after the fast. Are you implying fasting reduces lifespan? Because that would be an hilariously first world concept. "Remember, to be healthy you need to have 5 small meals during the day. Don't let yourself get hungry," cry the Western dieticians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Barbieri's_fast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Barbieri's_fast

462436347 4y ago

> Died: 7 September 1990 (aged 50–51) Odd how this part often gets ignored when his example is cited.

Wolfenstein98k 4y ago
Well, he lived for a long time at >200kg (>450lbs), and lost over 120kg (270lbs). It's not a surprise that his lifespan was shorter than average. Given his death was a quarter of a century after he finished his fast, I'm not sure it makes the causal implication you are suggesting.
- 462436347 4y ago
  > It's not a surprise that his lifespan was shorter than average. Given all of the purported health benefits of fasting I see touted on HN, and given how long he fasted, if anything I'd expect him to have lived to 100.
  - StrangeATractor 4y ago
    Well he would have if he didn't start eating again.
- snapplebobapple 4y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21673486 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21673486 Allegedly health problems from obesity and stomach bleeding killed him. Questionably related to the fast,probably related to the health problems that got him to do the fast in the forst place.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
spoonfeeder006 4y ago
That was 25 years after his fast, but there have been other cases with complications E.g. one lady (1st case in the lnk below) who fasted for 4 months ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks with cardiac arrhythmias and they also found her heart tissue muscles were scared and filled with holes (I believe thats what vacuolated means) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1238550/pdf/westjmed00246-0081.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1238550/pdf/wes... I'm a fan of a 7 day prolonged fast, but not for anything longer
franciscop 4y ago
Without any cause listed dying at 50-51 is not rare at all and should not be assumed to be related to a particular cause. In fact, life expectancy of those born on 1940 was 60.8 years, making it within 10 year of the average, something totally normal IMHO (it's like today, with a 78-year life expectancy, someone dying at 68 years old, totally not surprising).
- TylerE 4y ago
  Life expectancy is a tricky stat. One of those cases where mean vs median vs mode is really important. Especially when talking about a period anchored in a global conflict with vast civilian casualties.
sph 3y ago
25 years after the fast. Are you implying fasting reduces lifespan? Because that would be an hilariously first world concept. "Remember, to be healthy you need to have 5 small meals during the day. Don't let yourself get hungry," cry the Western dieticians.